This invention relates to gas turbine engines and particularly to multi-lobe forced mixers and/or inverters.
A typical lobe mixer utilized in the exhaust of a fan jet engine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,375 granted to T. A. Wynosky, R. A. Streib and C. A. Campbell on Apr. 17, 1979 which is incorporated herein by reference. The purpose of this invention is to improve mixer performance and hence engine performance which is occasioned by redirecting the flow in the mixer by incorporating suitable fairing at discrete lobe locations.
We have found that providing suitable fairings at discrete locations on the mixer or inverter can reduce the total pressure loss of the flow passing through the mixer. Actual model and engine tests embodying this invention have shown an increase in thrust performance. It is contemplated within the scope of this invention that the fairings may be employed to control the area distribution of the fan or core flow paths at the entrance of the mixer lobes.